A final wish: laid to rest, home at last

December 3 2002By Nick Miller

The Wombat Forest formed a natural cathedral around Blackwood's oval for the funeral of Bali bombing victim Anthony Stewart, and the synthetic turf of the cricket wicket a natural aisle for the service for a young man with an infectious ability to have a good time.

Last month he would have turned 30. This month he had planned to propose to Perth girl Rebecca Armstrong. Instead she joined 400 family, friends and teammates from Western Australia's Kingsley football club to grieve his death and remember his life. Blackwood, a small town in the heart of the forest north-west of Melbourne, is home to the grave of Anthony's twin brother, Rodney, who died in a car accident five years ago.

Ms Armstrong recalled how she met "tall, gorgeous" Anthony in 1995, dancing badly but enthusiastically on a pub stage. The other man dancing was a best mate, Jason Stokes. They died together, dancing badly, enthusiastically, at the Sari club.

Anthony was the last of the seven killed Kingsley players to be identified, six weeks on, and the last to be laid to rest. His father, David "Spike" Stewart, was the "man in the hat" who in Bali six days after the tragedy challenged Prime Minister John Howard to assure him Anthony and the slain Australians would have graves. Yesterday, he wept.